425 Magazine article on Angelo Surmelis
425 Design
Q&A with HGTV Designer Angelo Surmelis
by Robin Daly and Christain Ursino
A great way to learn about design is to follow those who are actively involved in the process. We recently had the opportunity to share some time with interior designer Angelo Surmelis. You might know Surmelis from HGTV, and we were eager to catch up with this stylemaker to find out what makes him tick. Turns out we were lucky to share some time with him, as he has his fingers in multiple pots—the day after we interviewed Surmelis, he was jetting off to New York to film a makeover segment for the Today Show. Imagine, two days and only $500 to re-do a family room—that was his challenge. He obviously has skills! But there is more to Surmelis than filming quick-fixes. He is currently ready to launch a new furniture line that will be available at Costco!
Robin & Christian: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Angelo Surmelis: I came straight off the boat from Greece at 6 years old. We moved to Chicago at the invitation of an aunt and an uncle, and we worked in the family restaurant. I had a very My Big Fat Greek Wedding experience. I went to school in the Midwest, and thought I would go into architecture. I realized very quickly that architecture was not the right direction, so I moved on to fine art and painting. I always loved the world of design, but I assumed that everyone designed their own homes. I never thought people would pay for design work.
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